Central Issues for Libraries to Re-think their Services to Teens

Everyone needs a space in the library they can call their own, to provide them with a sense of security, as well as sending a strong message that they are welcome into the environment. But sometimes young adult services get the short end of the stick because they are given the insufficient amount of attentiveness or lacks a connection with this demographic of individuals in comparison to children and adult services and programs, which in turn discourages teens to consider stepping into a public library. A survey and interviews administered to 25 teens who attend a technology and urban high school within the United States were asked a series of questions on “how the prevalence of digital technology has influenced their perceptions and use of libraries” (Agosto, Magee, Dickard, & Forte, 2016, p. 248). When it came to inquiring about the reasons for not using their school or public library, the adolescents’ collected data indicated the following:

• 19 or 76% of the teens expressed that “library equal books”
• 13 or 52% of participants felt that their school and public libraries’ resources and collections needed maintenance or reevaluation
• 10 or 40% saw libraries as an ancient ruin or thing of the past
• 6 or 24% of the students perceived libraries as uninviting, especially if they had a previous negative interaction with librarians and/or their staff (Agosto et al., 2016, pp. 257-258).

Although there were students who admitted to finding the library a useful resource due to purposes related to autonomy, socialization, personal preferences, and access to technology. This data was still overshadowed by those who were non-library users.

In addition, their space within a public library setting seems too “’dull’, morgue-like, ‘boring’, and not designated for teens’ needs” (Li, Ha, & Aristeguieta, 2023, p. 54). But the presentation of teen spaces goes beyond the physical capacity of colorful furniture and walls along with a comfortable lounge-seating area. While living in a predominantly technology-driven and social networking universe, Michael Stephens (2010) found that the “Pew Internet & American Life Project reported 85% of teens aged 12-17 engaged in some form of electronic personal communication, which includes text messaging, sending e-mails, or posting comments on social networking sites”. The creation of a virtual library space can bridge the digital and knowledge information gap. No matter the physical and/or virtual spaces, the construction of a young adolescent library workspace must have multipurpose functions, integration of youth participation with the guidance from adult mentors, as well as communicate teen ownership. The examples of Mindspot and Tulare County’s Teen Digital Media Lab will show how “young people’s learning is shaped by technology and collaboration” (Stephens, 2010):

Mindspot the Movie: The Library as a Universe

The traditional library system that was once seen to only house and preserve physical items, such as books and periodicals, is “being transformed by transliteracy and exemplified by library services like Mindspot” (Andretta, 2009, p.12). Transliteracy is a pedagogical method that encompasses “reading, writing, and a range of platforms, tools, and media from signing and orality through handwriting, print, TV, radio and film, to digital social networks” (Libraries & Transliteracy, n.d.). Mindspot is a library project associated with Denmark’s Aarhus Main Library, which is geared toward creative driven-user adolescents and what recreational and educational activities they find relevant and appeals to their interests. As you can see in the video, those involved in the project are made of library professionals known as Mindkeepers who solicited the young people’s feedback as well as documented their experiences and thoughts pertaining to how a library should be constructed and marketed to teens (transformationlab, 2009, 1:25-1:38). This project would not have come alive without the help from the Mindspotters who young library ambassadors are hired to spot trends and ideas that were suitable in the development of the Mindspot project (transformationlab, 2009, 1:39-1:50). This collaborative project also included assistance from external cooperations and young innovators. The Mindspot Universe consists of engagement with the community and outreach (e.g., schoolteachers and youth clubs) using the Spotmobile caravan as well as teens relishing in the unorthodox library space where they can relax, lay down or sit-up, and enjoy snacking and drinking. Teens can also accommodate in a variety of encounters such as musical performances, information searching, gaming, film marathons, etc. Mindspot allows teens to enhance their skills through the exploration of their interests and through the unique attributes of the library.

Tulare County’s Teen Digital Media Lab

Another teen hands-on involvement project that reminisced that of the Mindspot design was when in 2011 Tulare County’s Teen Services Librarian, Faythe Arrendondo, received a $28,000 grant to her department, which she invested in buying MacBook Pros, blogging camera equipment, and iPod touches for young individuals to “tap into their technological creativity” (CSACCounties, 2014, 00:45-1:58). One of the ways these young people were able to become innovative thinkers and creators was when the teen advisory board decided to utilize their new technology by producing a new and improved Summer Reading Program for Teens. Since their previous Summer Reading programs were lackluster or too juvenile, the teens decided to take full advantage and leadership in inventing their own summer reading challenge based off the game Clue. These adolescent individuals were involved in the script writing that pertained to their peers’ characters (not their own). They filmed, edited, and uploaded their videos to the library’s website, so that on a weekly basis the audience could piece together the murder mystery (CSACCounties, 2014, 3:50-4:40). This experience, along with Mindspot, are perfect examples of teen participation in the development and implementation of services and programming regarding their needs and the desires of their adolescent peers. With their participation in the design and improvement of their libraries’ spaces and services, this sends the message that teens are a valuable asset to the librarianship world.

References

Agosto, D.E., Magee, R.M., Dickard, M., & Forte, A. (2016). Teens, technology, and libraries. The Library Quarterly, 86(3), 248-269.

Andretta, S. (2009). Transliteracy: take a walk on the wild side. World Library and Information Congree: 75TH IFLA General Conference and Council, 1-13.

CSACounties. (2014, March 26). Tulare County’s teen digital media lab—2013 [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/TpMfNgY9j4Q?si=pMBJJKxpiWo4tVC7

Fetalvero, S. (2024, June 22). Our reinvented teen spaces & services [Image]. Canva. https://www.canva.com/design/DAGI7Kqyo4o/jh1YSMn668xgAO7wlc0R5g/edit

Li, X., Ha, Y., & Aristeguieta, S. (2023). Teens’ vision of an ideal space: Insights from a small rural public library in the United States. Evidence Based Library and Information Practice, 18(4), 52-67.

Libraries and Transliteracy. (n.d.). What is transliteracy?. WordPress. https://librariesandtransliteracy.wordpress.com/what-is-transliteracy/

Stephens, M. (2010, March 2). The hyperlinked school library: engage, explore, celebrate. Tame the Web. https://tametheweb.com/2010/03/02/the-hyperlinked-school-library-engage-explore-celebrate/

transformationlab. (2009, April 20). Mindspot the movie: The library as a universe [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/ixsOLvLSARg?si=cmVCYCZHwWwlacpP